Kevin and Sally Hight, members of Eastport United Methodist Church, have provided Thanksgiving meals for students and their families for the past decade. On a day when the average American consumes as many as 3,000 calories, the Hights want to provide meals for children who might not eat at all.

He and his wife Heather, who own the restaurant with other partners, want to make the Thanksgiving feast an annual tradition and hopefully grow it to involve other downtown businesses. Black envisions it expanding to include a winter supply drive, so people can come in from the cold and get the food and clothing they need to stay warm all in one place.

This first year drew about 150 people who ate their meals in the restaurant or took the food to go, Black said, and he hopes to draw even more in the future.

“For me that was super successful,” he said. “I’m very proud of the people that volunteered their time today.”

The Anne Arundel County Food Bank said it received more than 300 turkeys after an article ran in The Capital detailing how the agency was short a little more than 200 turkeys for donation for Thanksgiving.

“Nobody is going to be hungry when they leave here,” Chef Cherron Robinson said.

Robinson, who grew up on Clay Street, said he shared the word in that community about the Thanksgiving Day feast and promoted it online. He worked until 10 p.m. Wednesday prepping and came back at 5:30 a.m. Thursday to keep working. He said he’s been smiling all morning, happy to provide for his city.

Thanksgiving is one day a year. We must strive to make our personal spheres of influence a bit better each day. Put down the phone and lift up a neighbor. Shine a light on charity while stamping out ignorance.

Black said he wants to teach his children that there are people in need in this community, not just in cities, and teach them to give their time and volunteer. Both of his step-daughters Hayven Applefeld, 11, and Taylor Applefeld, 14, were serving food at the buffet line.